‘Powerhouse Storm’ Continues to Pound Plains

A “powerhouse storm” that left up to two feet of snow across the southern Rockies swung eastward Saturday and spread ice, slush and snow across the Plains, threatening to snarl traffic for Thanksgiving weekend travelers all the way to the Great Lakes.

Eighteen people had been killed in weather-related accidents since the Thanksgiving holiday weekend began.

Montana posted more record lows in a series that started two months ago, and the cold along with 10 m.p.h. to 20 m.p.h. winds in the Dakotas drove wind-chill factors to as much as 50 degrees below zero.

Storm Warning Issued

Forecasters issued a winter storm warning for eastern South Dakota on Saturday night because an expected six inches of snow and high winds could produce near-blizzard conditions. Similar warnings were issued for eastern North Dakota, parts of Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota and most of Wisconsin.

A winter storm watch was issued for central and eastern parts of Nebraska, where the wind chill plunged to minus 40 in some areas.

“We’re expecting blizzard conditions on Sunday,” said Mike Powers, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Omaha. “It will get nasty.”

Two feet of snow had fallen in the southwestern Colorado mountains at Wolf Creek Pass, and during the night up to a foot of snow fell as far south as Flagstaff, Ariz. Up to 20 inches had fallen since Thursday in Utah’s mountains.

By Saturday night, snow extended from inland portions of Oregon, across Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, the Dakotas, Nebraska, western Kansas, the panhandles of Oklahoma and Texas, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Freezing rain reached from northwest Texas across central Oklahoma, southeast Kansas, central and northeast Missouri, southeast Iowa and west-central Illinois.

Travel Dangerous

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported many accidents, and the Kansas Highway Patrol said many roads were covered with ice. Iowa police reported that interstate highways were 50% to 100% snow- and ice-covered.

Parts of northeastern South Dakota got seven to eight inches of snow, and in northeastern Minnesota, Duluth got six inches of snow overnight.

“It’s a powerhouse storm that will have tremendous blowing and drifting” in northwestern Wisconsin, meteorologist Walter Drag said.

Winds gusted to 83 m.p.h. Saturday afternoon at western Texas’ Guadalupe Pass area.

Saturday’s low of 22 degrees below at Great Falls, Mont., broke a 95-year-old record of 13 below. Billings posted a record 12 below zero, and Helena had a record low of 14 below. The coldest spot in the 48 states was 32 below at Warroad, Minn.